BIG MATCH
previous league games between the clubs. These
It’s 2nd v 1st in N2N when Fylde welcome unbeaten league leaders Sedgley Park to the Woodlands on Saturday (ko 15.00), the toughest possible challenge for the home side. Fylde’s form in recent weeks has stuttered somewhat as injuries and unavailabilities have made serious incursions into their squad. Sedgley have had a superb season, winning all 19 games to date, breezing through fixtures in 2023. They have been threatened in a few matches but have buckled
fixtures began in 2001 and the first four games up to 2003 were all won by Sedgley. The clubs then went their different ways, with Sedgley eventually elevated to the Championship (level 2) between 2004 – 2009 as Fylde slipped to level 4. Sedgley’s relegation to National One, and Fylde’s promotion to that division in 2011, brought the clubs together again in the period 2011 – 2013. The four games in this sequence were all won by Fylde but Sedgley’s relegation in April 2013 separated the clubs once more. Fylde’s return to National Two (North) for the 2018-19 campaign brought them back together. Wins by each club that season, both away from home, was followed by Fylde’s tense 17-10 home victory in Dec 2019 before the abandonment of the league wiped out the Park Lane encounter. Fylde’s three successive defeats in 2021-22 and 2022-23 means that the Tigers hold the bragging rights with 8 victories to Fylde’s 6. Woodlands Park Lane Fylde result 2001-2 19-22 37-15 L/L 2002-3 11-27 53-28 L/L 2011-12 43-10 13-29 W/W 2012-13 12-11 20-59 W/W 2018-19 12-28 14-22 L/W 2019-20 17-10 W 2021-22 0-38 37-22 L/L 2022-23 30-20 /L
down and battled through in close encounters. However, Fylde will be protecting their own proud 100% home record so this is shaping up to be a enticing encounter between Lancashire’s top two RU teams who have great mutual respect.
Sedgley’s progress this season has been magisterial:
The memory of two heavy defeats at the hands of the Tigers last season will still be fresh in Fylde players’ minds, especially the 0-38 hiding they received at the Woodlands twelve months ago. The home side were never at the party on a waterlogged pitch facing a totally focussed Sedgley squad who played the conditions to perfection. In the earlier game at Park Lane in October, Sedgley pounded the Fylde defence and built up a 37-3 lead just after half-time. A late 2nd half resurgence by the visitors restored some pride with a final 37-22 score line. This season’s game at Park Lane was much closer, with Sedg coming out on top by 30-20. In recent seasons the two clubs have been Lancashire’s highest ranked in the RFU league system. They have a close relationship built on mutual respect and in their joint commitment to Lancashire county rugby as Head Coach Mark Nelson has described elsewhere in this programme in his plea for the greater recognition of County rugby. A number of players in the current squads have played for both clubs. Sedgley’s Steve Collins, Mark Goodman, Cameron Crampton, Tane Bentley and Danny Maher have, collectively, made many appearances for Fylde. Fylde’s Chris Briers, Greg Smith, Adam Lewis and Olli Parkinson have spent seasons at Park Lane. Many of the other players know each other very well from Lancashire U’20s and senior squad duties. Rather surprisingly, there have only been fourteen
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